Vacuum breakers



June 14, 1955 l. H. RUSSELL EIAL 2,710,521

VACUUM BREAKERS Filed Jan. 6, 1954 Ii]! If /7 j j 2 l7 l8 /a /5 /.9 4 w l 1: 22 2? l4 4; 8

f7? 2/??? 2 02 29 IRVING I]. RU$$EL L JAMES J. smmrz ARDEN ATHERTUIV A TTORNE 1's VACUUM BREAKERS Irving H. Russell, Oak Park, James J. Swartz, Berwyn, and Arden D. Atherton, Chicago, 111., assiguors to il llonn Valve Company, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Application January 6, 1954, Serial No. 402,4

10 Claims. (Cl. 137--2l8) This invention relates to vacuum breakers used to prevent back-syphonage pollution in water supply systems, and the general object is to provide a new and improved vacuum breaker which operates reliably and efiiciently, and which can be produced economically.

Vacuum breakers are customarily provided in water supply systems where the water is used for sanitary purposes as well as for drinking, washing or cooking. These devices are a necessary precaution since the sanitary fixtures including water closet bowls, are connected to the water system and there is grave danger that the pure water supply pipe line may become contaminated by back-syphonage of the liquid wastes from a clogged plumbing fixture. This can occur wherever a vacuum condition takes place in the Water supply line, thus rendering the pure water supply unfit for drinking and cooking purposes.

It is an object of the invention to provide a new and improved vacuum breaker for the aforesaid purpose which is provided with back-check and vacuum breaking means for preventing back-syphonage, and which is comparatively simple in construction, cheap to manufacture, and compactly arranged so as to be relatively inconspicuous when installed in position on a Water closet, for example.

The invention has as a further object the provision of a vacuum breaker which can be cheaply produced of sheet metal formed as an integral portion of the outlet or discharge tube of the device and in which the various elements comprising the vacuum breaker are readily assembled without the use of threading, soldering, screws, or other similar attachments or fastening means.

A feature of the invention is the arrangement of the discharge tube of the vacuum breaker which is enlarged at one end to accommodate the back-check and vacuum breaking unit, andin which the coupling member, the shield for the air vent passages, and the discharge tube are all rigidly clamped together into a unitary structure by simple locking means without the use of external attaching devices.

A further feature resides in the novel locking means for holding all the component parts of the vacuum breaker together without the use of external fastening means together with novel means for preventing relative rotation of said parts when in assembled condition.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, arrangement of parts and elements which will be hereinafter fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings disclosing a preferred and modification of the invention. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of a vacuum breaker embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the various parts in extended relationship before assembly;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-section of a fragmentary portion of the vacuum breaker;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 4-- of Fig. 1; while nitcd States Patent '1 would be danger that back-syphonage could occur.

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Fig. 5 is a cross-section view of a modified form of the vacuum breaker.

One use to which the vacuum breaker of the invention may be put is for preventing back-syphonage from a water closet. In such use, the device in Fig. 1 will have the outlet tube indicated generally at 5, connected at its lower end to a water closet bowl not shown, while its upper end 6 will be attached to a flush valve which supplies a metered amount of water through the vacuum breaker and outlet tube 5 to the water closet bowl. In the event the closet bowl becomes clogged for various reasons and overflows its rim, the outlet tube 5 would be submerged and then when the flush valve was operated and a vacuum condition occurred in the supply pipe, there Y interposing the vacuum breaker between the bowl and the flush valve, this back syphonage is positively prevented.

The vacuum breaker shown consists essentially of the outlet tube 5, coupling member 6, vacuum breaker unit 7, and a shield or hood 8, all assembled into a unitary structure, as shown in Fig. l. The outlet tube 5 is of uniform diameter throughout most of its length, except near the upper end, where it is slightly flared outwardly as indicated at 9, to accommodate the vacuum breaker unit 7, as will be pointed out later. Above the flared out portion 9, a further expanded flared out portion 19 is formed in the outlet tube. Near its upper end, a series of air openings or ports 11 are formed around the tube 5 spaced a short distance below the top edge 12, as best seen in Fig. 2.

ln assembled relationship, the annular hood 8 hasa downwardly extending flange portion 13 which shields or guards the openings 11 from the entry of foreign substances. The inner edge 14 of the hood closely encircles a depending portion 16 of the coupling member 6, and a second annular depending portion 15 is formed above the portion re. At the junction of. the two portions a shoulder 19 is formed. The annular part 16 is of such diameter that it will'easily fit into the inner diameter of the expanded portion 10 below the upper edge 12. The upper end of coupling 6 is threaded at 17 for the purpose of attaching the unit to a liush valve, for example, and to assist this attachment the outer portion 18 may be in the form of a nut for application of a wrench. Adjacent the lower end of the member 6a recess 29 is formed in the portion 16, which is bounded on the lower edge by the ring portion 21 formed in the member. A ledge 22 is also formed inside the coupling member 6 below threads 17 for the accommodation of packing ring 23 to seal the connection between the vacuum breaker and the flush valve against leakage.

As more clearly observed in Fig. 2, the upper edge of the air ports 11 are each provided with inwardly punched-in projections 24 which are arranged to be snapped into the recess in coupling member 6, as will be later explained. A series of lugs 26 are swedgcd in the bottom edge portion 21 of member 6. as clearly shown in Fig. 4, and are adapted to hold the projections 24 in the recess 2% and clamp. the parts in assembled relationship. This swedging action forms the recesses 27 directly behind each of the lugs 26, as shown in Fig. 4.

The vacuum breaker unit 7 consists of a cylindrical tube 29 having a diagonal shaped partition 30 fastened on opposite side walls thereof. The partition 30 is provided with a circular water port 31, which is adapted to be closed by a swingable valve member 32, hinged-at 33 in the top of the partition 30. At the opposite side of the valve member 32 is a circular air port 34 adapted to be closed by the valve member 32 when water flows through the device. The valve member is provided with a weight 35 attached to it, so that it is normally balanced in position between the water port 31 and the air port 34,

and out of contact with both of them, but slightly closer to the water port 31. When a vacuum condition occurs in the supply line above the device, the valve member 32. swings against the water port 31 preventing backsyphonage, while the large air inlet through the air ports 11 and air port 34 to the outlet tube, breaks the vacuum below the device.

Referring now specifically to Fig. 2, the parts are shown in extended relationship before they are assembled into a unitary structure, as shown in Fig. 1. The outlet tube with the integral expanded portions 9 and 10 is first rigidly held, while the shield 8 is placed over the portion 16 of member 6 with the edge 14 encircling the same. Coupling member 6 is then forcibly driven downward with its inner edge 16 sliding into contact with the inner upper surface 12 of the expanded portion 10 of tube 5. Just before the shoulder 19 contacts the inner edge 14 of shield 8 with the upper edge portion 12 of the tube 5, the projections 24 being relatively resilient at that point, snap into the recess 20 of member 6 into the position shown in Fig. 1. By a single downward pressing action of the member 6 into the tube 5, the parts are all rigidly assembled together and the member 6 can not thereafter be removed because of the projections 24 being locked in the recess 20.

In order to prevent relative rotary movement between the outlet tube 5 and coupling member 6 as when the coupling member is being attached to a fiush valve, a swedging action is performed on the ledge 21, as shown in- Fig. 4. A swedging tool is placed in the tube 5 below ledge 21 and operated to form the recess 27 opposite each air opening 11. This forces a portion 26 of the metal of the ledge 21 outwardly to form the recesses 27 and pushes the metal as shown at 26 through the top of air openings 11. By this action, all of the parts are more rigidly and firmly clamped into position, so that they cannot afterwards be relatively rotated or disassembled from each other.

In the final assembly, the vacuum breaker unit 7 is inserted from the top of the device and passes through the inner surface of coupling member 6 and is pressed downwardly until the lower edge slides into and engages the expanded portion 9 of the tube 5 and is stopped at the point where the tube begins to expand. The lower edge of the tube 29 is made slightly larger in diameter so that it can be press-fitted tightly into the expanded portion 9 to form a leak-proof seal at that point. At its upper end, the tube 29 is surrounded by a packing member 23 which rests on the ledge 22 of member 6 to form a Water tight seal between the vacuum breaker unit 7,

the inner wall of coupling member 6 and the bottom of the flush valve to which the device is attached by the threads 17.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 3, it will be observed clearly in this enlarged showing that the projections 24, after having been assembled in the unit, snap into the recess 20 on the upper portion of ledge 21, where they are tightly jammed and cannot subsequently be removed. To prevent rotation between the assembled parts, the swedging action at 27 more rigidly and firmly holds the parts in position. The hood 8, of course, being clamped between the shoulder 19 of. member 6 and the top edge 12 of the tube 5, cannot be removed or rotated, since it is clamped tightly between these twosurfaces. Referring now particularly to the modification shown in Fig. 5, in this structure nooutlet tube is provided. However, a special coupling unit 40 has a threaded exterior surface for attachment directly to a separate outlet tube or some other plumbing fixture or fitting, as desired. The tube portion 10 of the device may be soldered as shown at 41 to the lowerend of the tube 10. Coupling40 has a ledge portion 42 on its inner surface for limiting the downward press-fitted action of the vac.- uum breaker unit-7, as shown at 36. The remaining parts of the device are arranged and assembled in the same manner as shown in the structure of Fig. 1.

It is seen from the foregoing that a vacuum breaker assembly has been devised which comprises few simple parts which are firmly fastened together so as to be irremovable and non-rotatable with respect to the different parts. Furthermore, the vacuum breaker unit 7 is readily inserted as a pre-assernbled unit into this structure without requiring further fastening means except being press-fitted in position. It will be seen that by this construction and assembly, no threading operations, no soldering, locking screws or other fastening means are needed, thereby requiring fewer parts and a more rigid assembly, all contributing to a device which is more economical to produce.

What is claimed is:

1. In a vacuum breaker, a discharge tube formed with an integral enlarged upper end portion having air vent passages formed around said end, a tubular casing having its lower end press fitted into leak-proof engagement with said discharge tube where the discharge tube begins to enlarge, said tubular casing having an air port and a Water port therein together with a valve member swingable against either port, a hood for shielding said air vent passages arranged on the upper enlarged end of said discharge tube, a coupling member arranged on top of said hood and having a portion extending into the enlarged end of said discharge tube, and cooperative snap-acting locking means on the portion of said coupling member extending into said discharge tube and on the wall of said discharge tube for rigidly securing said coupling member, said hood, and said discharge tube together.

2. In a vacuum breaker, a discharge tube having an integral enlarged upper end with air vent passages arranged therearound, a tubular casing press fitted at its lower end into the discharge tube where said discharge tube begins to enlarge, said tubular casing containing back-check and vacuum breaking means, a hood for shielding said air vent passages arranged on the end of "said enlarged discharge tube, a coupling member arranged on top of said hood and having a portion extending into the enlarged end of said discharge tube, said coupling member having a recess formed in said extended portion, the enlarged end of said discharge tube having a series of inwardly engaging projections formed therein adapted to engage the recess of said coupling member when said coupling member is pushed into the enlarged end of said discharge tube, whereby said coupling member, said hood and said discharge tube are rigidly held together.

3. In a vacuum breaker, a discharge tube having air vent passages at one end thereof, an annular hood for shielding said air vent passages having its inner edge resting on top of said discharge tube, a coupling member having a shoulder resting on top of said hood inner edge and a portion below said shoulder extending into said discharge tube, said extending portion having an annular recess formed therein, locking means on said discharge tube engageable with said coupling member recess when said coupling member is pushed into said discharge tube, whereby the shoulder of said coupling member clamps said hood on top of said discharge tube and said coupling member, said hood and said discharge tube being rigidly held together, and a tubular casing containing back-check and vacuum breaking means inserted into said discharge tube.

4. In a vacuum breaker, a discharge tube having air vent passages at one end thereof, an annular hood for shielding said air vent passages having an inner edge resting on top of said discharge tube, an annular coupling member having a shoulder resting on top of said hood inner edge, said coupling member having a reduced portion projecting from said shoulder into said discharge tube, said reduced portion having a recess formed therearound arranged opposite said air vent passages, locking lugs formed on one edge of said air vent passages engageable with said recess for rigidly clamping said hood between said shoulder and the top of said discharge tube, and a combination vacuum breaking and back-check unit inserted into said discharge tube and said coupling member.

5. In a vacuum breaker, a discharge tube having air vent passages at one end thereof, an annular hood for shielding said air vent passages having an inner edge resting on top of said discharge tube, an annular coupling member having a shoulder resting on top of said hood inner edge, said coupling member having a reduced portion projecting downward from its shoulder into said discharge tube, said reduced portion having a recess formed around it opposite said air vent passages, locking lugs formed on the top edge of said air vent passages adapted to enter and lock in said coupling member recess when the reduced portion of said coupling member is inserted into said discharge tube, said locking lugs clamping the shoulder of said coupling member and the inner edge of said hood against the top of said discharge tube to rigidly hold said parts together as a unit, and a tubular casing having back-check and vacuum breaking means therein, said tubular casing having press fit engagement at its bottom end with said discharge tube and a guided fit at its top end with the inner edge of said annular coupling member.

6. In a vacuum breaker, an outer discharge tube having air vent passages formed near the top end thereof, an annular hood for shielding said air vent passages having an inner edge resting on top of said discharge tube, an annular coupling member having a shoulder resting on top of said hood inner edge, said coupling member having a reduced portion projecting into said discharge tube from said shoulder and an annular recess formed in said reduced portion opposite said air vent passages, locking lugs formed on the edges of said air Vent passages, said locking lugs snapping into the recess in said coupling member when the reduced portion of said coupling member is inserted into said discharge tube, whereby said coupling member, said hood and said discharge tube are securely clamped together as a unitary structure, the inner end of said hood having sufiicient resiliency to enable said locking lugs to enter said recess and then lock in position when the pressure of inserting said coupling member is released, and a tubular casing inserted inside said discharge tube and press fitted therein.

7. In a vacuum breaker, a discharge tube having air vents at one end thereof, an annular hood for shielding said air vents having an inner edge resting on top of said discharge tube, a coupling member having a shoulder resting on top of the inner edge or" said l'lOOCl, a portion of said coupling member extending from said shoulder downward into said discharge tube and being provided with an annular recess around its circumference below said recess, locking lugs formed on the edge of said air vents adapted to engage said recess when the coupling member is inserted into said discharge tube, whereby the shoulder of said coupling member is clamped against said hood to hold the hood and coupling member rigidly against the top of said discharge tube, and other locking lugs formed on the bottom edge of said coupling member below said recess for preventing relative rotation of said coupling member and said discharge tube when assembled, and a vacuum breaking unit inserted in said discharge tube.

8. In a vacuum breaker, a discharge tube having an enlarged upper end with air vents arranged around it, an annular hood for shielding said air vents having an inner edge resting on top of said discharge tube, a coupling member having a shoulder resting on top of the inner edge of said hood, a portion of said coupling member extending downward from said shoulder into said discharge tube and having an annular recess adjacent the inside wall of said discharge tube, said annular recess also arranged opposite the upper edge of said air vents, locking lugs formed upon the upper edges of said air vents adapted to enter said annular recess when said coupling member is pushed into said discharge tube, said lugs having suflicient resiliency to snap into said recess whereby the shoulder of said coupling member, said hood, and said discharge tube are clamped together in assembled relationship, the bottom of said coupling member having a series of projecting portions formed therein which are forced against said locking lugs to prevent relative rotation between said discharge tube and said coupling member, a tubular casing fitted inside said discharge tube and press fitted into the bottom of the enlarged end thereof, the upper end of said tubular casing being guided and held by the inner edge of said coupling member, and vacuum breaker means arranged in said tubular casing.

9. In a vacuum breaker, a discharge tube having an enlarged upper end with air vents arranged around it, an annular hood for shielding said air vents having an inner edge resting on top of said discharge tube, a coupling member having a shoulder resting on top of the inner edge of said hood, a portion of said coupling member extending from said shoulder downward into said discharge tube and being provided with an annular recess adjacent the inside wall of said discharge tube, said annular recess also arranged opposite the upper edges of said air vents, locking lugs formed upon the upper edges of said air vents adapted to enter said annular recess when said coupling member is pushed into said discharge tube,

the shoulder of said coupling member thereby clamping said hood inner edge directly on top of said discharge tube to hold the elements in assembled relationship, and a series of lugs formed on the bottom of said coupling member below the annular recess therein and engaging said locking lugs to prevent relative rotation between said discharge tube and said coupling member, and a tubular vacuum breaker unit inserted in said discharge tube and press fitted into the upper enlarged end thereof.

10. In a vacuum breaker, an upright discharge tube having air vents near the upper end thereof, an annular hood on said discharge tube positioned and adapted to shield said air vents, a coupling member engaging the upper inner edge of said hood and projecting thereabove and having a portion projecting downwardly through said hood into the upper end of said discharge tube, locking means for clamping said coupling member, said hood and said discharge tube together in assembled relationship when said coupling member is inserted into said discharge tube, said locking means including downwardly and inwardly extending portions of said discharge tube at the upper edges of said air vents, and recesses in said coupling member adapted to receive them when said coupling member and said discharge tube are telescoped together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,225,592 MacFaddan Dec. 17, 1940 2,302,150 Sloan Nov. 17, 1942 2,388,432 Nelson Nov. 6, 1945 2,676,049 Wurzel Apr. 20, 1954 

